Confection machine



Aug. 23, 1938. W J, TAYLQR CONFECTION MACHINE Filed June 23, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 23, 1938. i W J, TAYLOR 2,127,850A

CONFECT ION MACHINE Wz'ZZzv'arz T Tdylor, @y 754ml; MMM/KEW Aug. 23, 1938. W. 1' TAYLQR 2,127,850

CONFECTION MACHINE Filed June-23, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 1720er@ to2; William J ayl; Qy MM www,

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Al1g- 23, 1938- w. J. TAYLOR' v coNFEcTIoN MACHINE Filed June 25, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' Inventar,

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Aug. 23, 1938.

w. J. TAYLQR CONFECTION MACHINE 5 Sheets-.Sheet 5 Filed Jun@l 25, 19564 W ww 04 ha w w ad W mi? if ,2V ,r M a Mwy. 4 Fd /W\ I0 a UN'iTl-:o STATES PATENT cernes Patented Aug. 23, 1938 ooNFECTioN MAoHiNE William J. Taylor, Syracuse, VN. Y., assignor `to The Lamson Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation rof Massachusetts Application June 23, 1936,-Serial No. 86,719

18 Claims.

This inventionrelates to an improvement in a confection `machine of the general type illustrated and described in the patent to Robb No. 1,960,456, `dated May 29, 1934, and more particularlyV to a-iilling unit usable therein.

The `objects of thepresent invention are to provide in a lling unit usable in a confection machine, means for moving the unit in unison with the molds to be lled and for discharging fluid or semi-viscous material While the unit is so moving; means for measuring the quantities of such material;4 meansfor preventing the waste of any such material through dripping after the material has been discharged; and instrumentalities capable by structure and operatori of carryingout the purposes of suchunit all as will appear from a consideration of the following clescription and of the drawings which form a part thereof and inwhich y Fig. l is a View in side elevation `of a lling unit embodying this invention shown in relation to a portion of the conveyor carrying the molds to be iilled; v

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of i the .unit partly in `section and of the mold conveyor illustrating .the filling operation;

Fig. 3 is a detail View of a, portion of the fillingmechanism while in the replenishing operation Fig. 4 is a plan view of the lling unit with the cover removed;

Fig. 5 is a `front elevation thereof with the `cover removed, together` with a mold carrier;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the `line lion Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged end elevation of the plunger operating mechanism,v with portions of the structure removed;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross sectional View of a lling nozzle; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relative movement of the filling nozzles and the mold carriers.

The iilling `unit IIJ Vcomprises a tank pivotally suspended from a shaft |2 over a mold conveyorhere shown as similar to thatA disclosed in Copending applicationSerial No. 54,166, filed December 23, 1935. The mold conveyor comprises a pair of chains i5 which pass around a plurality of sprockets l5 vand and between which are carried a plurality of mold carriers I8. The shaft l2 and sprockets I6 and I1 are suitably supported in a frame I9. The tank is suspended from the shaft I2 by end plates 2|) and is oscillated thereon by means of a stub shaft 2| The mold conveyor is continuouslydrivenby means not shown.` .The shaft I2 is driven from the shaft of one pair of-sprockets I6 through bevel gears 26 and 2l, a vertically inclined shaft 28 and bevel gears 29y and 30. The shaft 2| is driven from the shaft yI2 through bevel gears 3| and 32, a vertically inclined shaft 33 and bevel vgears 34 and 35. kThe-shafts `I2 andZI thus rotate in unison with the travel of the mold conveyor.

The endkwalls 20 of Ytheltanlz are connected by a front angle bar 36, and a rear angle bar 3l. The end walls andI angle bars support the walls which `withthe bottom `plate 38 form a hopper 394 for the uid `or semi-viscous material with which the molds are to be filled; The front wall 49 andthe 1' end walls 4| and 42 are vertical While the rear wallI 43 is inclined. The wallsof the hopper are suitablyinsulatedto prevent evaporation of lthe contents of the .hopper and the'formation of condensation on the outer surfaces. As here shownthis insulation is attained bynieans of cork sheets 44 :held lin contact 4with the` outer faces of the vwalls and `l|3"of the hopper and the end walls 2.0 of the tank by a casing 45. `Other insulating means may be substituted therefor if desired.

. Mounted in recesses `46 in the bottom plate 38 are filling cylinders 41. These cylinders are equal in number to the molds of the mold carriers and are arranged in a row extending across i I the machine parallel to the front wall 40. Each cylinder registers with a mold of each mold carrier as indicated on Fig. 5. vThe upper end of each cylinder enters a recess 48 in a plate49 projecting from the front angle bar 36 (see Fig.

7). The recess. is anv annular enlargement of an opening 50 which preferably is of the same internal dimension as the interior of the cylinder. .In assembling the cylinders in the tank the lower ends are seated in the recesses 46 of f cable in each cylinder 41 is a plunger or piston 55, and a bar 56 pivoted in a recess 51 at the upper end of the plunger. The plungers are reciprocated by arms 58 fixed to a rock shaft 59 supported in the end walls 20. The free end of each arm 58 carries a cross pin 60. The ends of the pins project at opposite sides of the arm and the upper ends of the bars 56 are slipped over the projecting ends of the pins and suitably secured in place as by cotter pins 6|. One end of the rock shaft 59 projects beyond the tank II and on it is mounted an arm 62. The shaft 59 is actuated by the shaft |2 through the arm 62, an adjustable link 63, an adjustable block 64 andI a disk 65 fixed upon the end of the shaft I2 (see Fig. 7). The block 64 is supported in a pocket 66 extending diametrically across one face of the disk 65 and its position in the pocket may be adjusted by means of a screw 61 to regulate the amount of movement imparted to the shaft 59. The shaft movement may be further regulated by means of the adjustable link 63.

The bottom plate 38 has in its under face a recess 10 closed by a plate 1I which extends across the mouth of the recess and is secured in anysuitable manner to the under face of the plate. The recess 10 is connected by passages 12 to the hopper 39 and by passages 13 to the interior of the filling cylinders 41. Each passage 12 is in longitudinal alignment with a passage 13. Nozzles 14 are carried by the plate 1| in vertical alignment with the passages 13 and lead from the recess 10. Mounted to reciprocate longitudinally in the recess 10 is a slide valve 15 having a plurality of passages 16 therethrough and a plurality of transversely extending recesses 11 in the upper face thereof. The recesses 11 are of such length that, as shown in Fig. 3, they will connect the passages 12 and 13 in one position of the slide. The passages 16 and recesses 11 are alternately arranged longitudinally of the valve 15 and are spaced apart the same distances as are the passages 12 or 13. When the valve 15 is at one limit of its movement, the right in Fig. 6, each passage 16 registers with and connects a passage 13 and the nozzle 14 in alignment therewith (Fig. 2). When the valve 15.is at the other limit of its movement, the left in Fig. 6, each recess 11 registers with and connects a passage 12 and the aligned passage 13 (Fig. 3).

Reciprocation is imparted to the slide valve 15 by bell crank levers 80 pivotally mounted on ears 8| projecting from the outer faces of the end plates 20. The levers 80 are actuated by cams 82 on the shaft I2 through rollers 83 at the upper ends of blocks 84 slidable in pockets 85 formed on the end plates and adjustable links 86 pivotally secured at their ends to the levers 80 and the blocks 85. The cams 82 are identical in form the periphery of each being formed by two arcuate sections 81 and 88 of substantially the same length connected at the ends by reverse curved sections 89 (see Fig. 2). As indicated in the drawings the cams are so positioned on the shaft that when one roller 83 is in contact with the section 81 of one cam the other roller 83 is in contact with the section 88 of the other cam and that both rollers 83 contact simultaneously with the reversed curved sections 89 of the cams. The lever at the left (Fig. 5) moves the valve to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6 and the lever at the right (Fig. 5) moves the valve to the position shown in Fig. 3. Both levers are at all times in contact with the valve and coact to control its movement. The travel of the valve 15 in both directions is limited by suitable stop means as for example by pins 90,

one only of such means being here shown (see Fig. 6).

The nozzles 14 are formed to prevent dripping or dribbling, see particularly Figs. 6 and 8. The passage 9| through the nozzle is tapered downwardly, the mouth being slightly larger than the outlet of the valve passage 16 and the outlet being slightly smaller. The outer surface of the nozzle is faced back to provide a thin blade-like annular flange 92 defining the outlet. The edge of the iiange is sharp and when, as will be described later, the fiow through the nozzles is cut off, the passages are substantially cleared by gravity and any material left forms a bubble which remains intact and is not shaken off by the movement of the valve.

As further protection for the material in the hopper 39 the top of the tank may be closed by a cover made up of a stationary section I 0| and a movable section |02 hinged to the stationary section. The stationary section comprises a plate |03 having slots |04 which receive the bars 56, and bolts 52 and a cross strap |05, the ends |06 of which are upturned and provided with notches |01. Bolts |08 projecting from bosses |09 on the end plates 20 of the tank enter the notches |01 when the cover is mounted on the tank. The slotted portions of the plate |03 rest on the plates 49 and the section I0| is secured in place by the heads of the bolts 52. A crossbar I I0 fixed to the plate |03 below the strap |05 rests on the upper edges of the end walls 4|.

The movable section |02 is joined to the stationary section |0I by a plurality of leaf hinges I II and comprises a plate I2 reinforced at its side edges by fianges I I3. The under face of the plate II2 is suitably insulated as by cork I I4 encased between plates to further prevent the loss of moisture by evaporation and to prevent the formation of condensation on the movable section of the cover.

The operation of the filling machine is in unison with the travel of the mold conveyor, the shaft I2 which, as pointed out above, controls the movement of the various movable elements, being driven from the shaft 25. Referring to Fig. 1, the cylinders 41 are filled as the tank swings to the left and are discharged to fill the molds as the tank swings to the right. The distance traveled by the tank is preferably regulated so that as shown in Fig. 9 the center line of a row of nozzles is slightly in advance of the center line of a row of mold carriers at the limit of the swing designated by 95 where the cylinder filling stops and the mold filling starts; is in register therewith at the middle of either operation and is slightly behind the center line of the mold carriers at the limit designated by 96 where the cylinder filling starts and the mold filling stops.

Assuming that a row of nozzles is at the position 95 on Fig. 9 the disk 65 on the shaft I2 starts to depress the pistons 55 through the link 63, arm 62, shaft 59, arms 58 and bars 56, and at the same time the cams 82 on the shaft I2 coact to shift the slide valve 15 to the right into the position shown in Fig. 6. The movement imparted by the disk 65 to the pistons 55 continues until the row of nozzles takes the position 96, being slower at the beginning and end than elsewhere. rI'he cams 82, however, are so formed that as the position 95 is reached the slide valve is opened quickly by moving the valve to the right and as the position 96 is reached is quickly closed by moving the valve to the left. The valve is at rest during the travel of the tank in either direction. The movements .2,127,850 `of the valve are caused by thev contact of thereverse curved sections of thecamswith the rollers 83. During the travel of the -tankin either direction the rollers 83 are in contact r-with the arcuate sections :and no movement'` of the valve is set `up thereby.

As the tank swings tothe left from the` -position 96 the pistons 55 are raised first slowly, then more rapidly and nnally `:slowly again.

`The slideivalve 15 is, aspointed out above.

closed and in the position shown in` Fig. 3 so that the materialin the hopper flows through the passages 'l1 into the filling cylinders-41 and fills the spaces left below the pistons 55 as they are raised. `As the tank swings to the right the pistons are lowered and since the valve isopen the contents thereof are discharged into the molds with which they at that time travel in register.

The position indicated by full lines in Fig. 1 and shown on a larger scale in Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 7 isxthat taken by the tank and its associated elements when the center line of the row of nozzles is in register with the center line of a `row of mold carriers as shown in Fig. 9.

At thatposition the pistons 55 are halfway between the upper and lower limits of their travel whether the nozzles be traveling to the `left or to the right, and the slide valve is atv rest being, however, in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 6 if the nozzles are traveling to the right and in the position shown in` Fig. 3 if the nozzles are traveling to the left.

While one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described it` will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the followingclaims.

I claim:

l. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor continuously, a iilling unit comprising `a tank pivotally supported above the Aconveyor and adapted to oscillate longitudinallythereof, said tank including a hopper, a plurality of filling cylinders therein, a plurality of `filling nozzles in alignment with said cylinders, plungers in said cylinders, movable valve mechanism which in one position connects the cylinders with the hopper and in another position connects the cylinders with the nozzles and means for actuating said pistons and Valve mechanism in timed relation, thepistons being raised when the valve mechanism is in the `position to connect the hopper and cylinders and lowered when the valve mechanism is in the position to connect the cylinders and nozzles, and vmeans for oscillating said tank whereby the nozzles, during part of the movement of the tank, travel in register with a mold carrier on the conveyor at which time the nozzles are connected with the cylinders, the pistons thereof` are lowered and the molds of the carrierare filled.

2. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor continuously, a lling unit comprising `a tank pivotally supported above` the conveyor `and adapted to oscillate longitudinally thereof, said tank including a hopper, a plurality of filling cylinders therein, a plurality of lling nozzles in alignment with said cylinders, plungers in said cylinders, movablefvalve mechanism which in one position connects the cylinders with the hopper and in another position connects the cylinders with the nozzles and means for actuating said pistons and Valve mechanism in timed relation, the pistons being raised when the valve mechanism is in the position to connect the hopper and cylinders and lowered when the valve mechanism is in the position to connect the cylinders and nozzles, and means for oscillating said tank which means include a shaft driven by the conveyor advancing means, whereby the nozzles, during a part'of the movement of the tank, travel in register with a mold carrier at which time they are connected with the cylinders, the pistons of the cylinders are lowered and the molds of the carrier are lled.

3. In `a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for aldvancing said conf,

veyor continuously, a filling unit comprising a tank pivotally supported above the conveyor and adapted to oscillate longitudinally thereof, said tank including a hopper, a plurality of filling cylinders therein, a plurality of filling nozzles in alignment with said cylinders, plungers in said cylinders, movable valve mechanism which in one position connects the cylinders with the hopper and in another position connects the cylinders with the nozzles and means for actuati ing said pistons and valve mechanism in timed relation, the pistons being raised when the valve mechanism is in the position to connect the hopper and cylinders and lowered when the valve mechanism is in the position to connect the :L

cylinders and nozzles, a shaft driven by the Conveyor advancing means, and means actuated by said shaft for oscillating the tank, reciprocating said pistons and operating Said valve mechanism whereby the tank is oscillated and the` nozzles, during part' of the movement of the tank, travel in register with a mold carrier, at `which time the nozzles are connected by the valve mechanism to the cylinders the pistons of the cylinders are lowered and the molds of the car- `rier are lled.

4. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor, a filling unit comprising a tank pivotally supported above the conveyor and adapted to oscillate longitudinally thereof, the movement of the tank in one direction being in unison with the movement of the carriers, a shaft on which said tank is supported, means rotating said shaft from the conveyor advancing means and means actuated by said shaft for oscillating said tank.

5. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor, a filling unit comprising a tank pivotally supported above the conveyor and adapted Yto oscillate longitudinally thereof, the movement of the tank in one direction being in unison with the movement of the carriers, a shaft on which said tank is supported, means rotating said shaft from the conveyor advancing means and means actuated by said shaft for oscillating said tank, said last named means comprising a shaft driven from said first named shaft, a disk on said second named shaft and an arm of which one end is connected to said tank and the other end is connected to said disk off-center thereof.

6. In a confection ma'chineincluding a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor, a lling unit comprising a tank pivotally supported above the conveyor and adapted to oscillate longitudinally thereof,`the movement of the tank in one direction being in unison with the movement of the carriers, a shaft on which said tank is supported, means rotating said shaft from the conveyor advancing means, means for oscillating said tank, nozzles in said tank, valve mechanism which allows fluid material in the tank to iiow through the nozzles into the molds of the carriers when the tank is moved in unison with the carriers and means actuated by said shaft for operating said valve mechanism.

'7. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor, a filling unit comprising a tank pivotally supported above the conveyor and adapted to oscillate longitudinally thereof, the movement of the tank in one direction being in unison with the movement of the carriers, a shaft on which said tank is supported, means rotating said shaft from the conveyor advancing means, means for oscillating said tank, nozzles in said tank, valve mechanism which allows material in the tank to fiow through the nozzles into the molds of the carriers when the tank is moved in unison with the molds and means actuated by said shaft for operating said tank oscillating means and said valve mechanism.

8. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor, a iilling unit comprising a tank pivotally supported above the conveyor and adapted to oscillate longitudinally thereof, the movement of the tank in one direction being in unison with the movement of the carriers, a shaft on which said tank is supported, means rotating said shaft from the conveyor advancing means, means for oscillating said tank, nozzles in said tank, iilling cylinders mounted in said tank in register with said nozzles, movable valve mechanism which in one position admits fluid material in the tank into the lling cylinders and in another position allows the material in the cylinders to flow through the nozzles into the molds of the carriers as the tank moves in unison with the carriers and means for operating said valve mechanism.

9. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor, a filling unit comprising a tank pivotally supported above the conveyor and adapted to oscillate longitudinally thereof, the movement of the tank in one direction being in unison with the movement of the carriers, a shaft on which said tank is supported, means rotating said shaft from the conveyor advancing means, means for oscillating said tank, nozzles in said tank, filling cylinders mounted in said tank in register with said nozzles, movable valve mechanism which in one position admits fluid material in the tank into the filling cylinders and in another position allows the material in the cylinders to flow through the nozzles into the molds of the carriers as the tank moves in unison with the carriers and means for operating said valve mechanism, said means for oscillating the tank and said means for operating the valve mechanism being actuated by the shaft on which the tank is pivotally supported.

10. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor,

a filling unit comprising a tank pivotally supported above the conveyor and adapted to oscillate longitudinally thereof, the movement of the tank in one direction being in unison with the movement of the carriers, a shaft on which said tank is supported, means rotating said shaft from the conveyor advancing means, means for oscillating said tank, nozzles in said tank, lling cylinders mounted in said tank in register with said nozzles, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, means for actuating said pistons, movable valve mechanism which in one position admits fluid material in the tank into the filling cylinders and in another position allows the material to flow from the cylinders through the nozzles into the molds of the carriers as the tank moves in unison with the carriers, and means for operating said valve mechanism, said means for oscillating the tank, actuating the pistons and operating the valve mechanism being actuated by the shaft on which the tank is pivotally supported.

1l. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor, a filling unit comprising a tank, filling cylinders mounted in said tank, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, means for reciprocating said pistons, nozzles on said tank in register with said cylinders, a reciprocable slide valve having transversely extending recesses in the upper face thereof, and passages therethrough, said recesses and passages being so positioned that at one limit of movement of the valve the recesses register with the cylinders and at the other limit the passages register with the cylinders and the nozzles, and means for reciprocating said valve, the reciprocations of the pistons and valve being so timed that When the pistons are moving upwardly the recesses register with the cylinders and when the pistons are moving downwardly the passages register with the cylinders and nozzles.

12. In a confection machine including a conveyor, a plurality of mold carriers transported thereby and means for advancing said conveyor, a filling unit comprising a tank, filling cylinders mounted in said tank, pistons reciprocable in said cylinders, means for reciprocating said pistons, nozzles on said tank in register with said cylinders, a reciprocable slide valve having transversely extending recesses in the upper face thereof, and passages therethrough, said recesses and passages being so positioned that at one limit of movement of the valve the recesses register with the cylinders and at the other limit the passages register with the cylinders and the nozzles, means for reciprocating said valve, and means actuated by said conveyor advancing means for operating said piston and valve reciprocating means in timed relation so that when the pistons are moving upwardly the recesses register with the cylinders and when the pistons are moving downwardly the passages register with the cylinders and nozzles.

13. Means for filling molds transported by a conveyor while in transit, comprising a tank mounted to oscillate longitudinally of the conveyor and having nozzles which travel in substantial register with the molds as the tank is oscillated in one direction, means for oscillating said tank and means for causing fluid material in the tank to ow through the nozzles into the molds during the oscillation of the tank in that direction only.

14. Means for filling molds transported by a conveyor while in transit, comprising a tank mounted to oscillate longitudinally of the conveyor and having nozzles which travel in substantial register With the molds as the tank is oscillated in one direction, means for oscillating said tank, means for measuring predetermined quantities of iiuid material and means for causing such quantities to ow through the nozzles into the molds during the oscillation of the tank in that direction only.

15. Means for lling molds transported by a conveyor while in transit comprising a tank mounted to oscillate longitudinally of the conveyor and having nozzles which travel in substantial register with the molds as the tank is oscillated in one direction, means for oscillating said tank, means for measuring predetermined quantities of uid material, means for causing such quantities to flow through the nozzles into the i molds during the oscillation of the tank in that direction and means for actuating said measuring means during the remainder of the oscillation of the tank.

16. Means for lling molds transportedr by a conveyor while in transit comprising a tank mounted to oscillate longitudinally of the conveyor and havingnozzles which travel in substantial register withthe molds as the tank is oseillated in one direction, means for oscillating said tank, means for measuring predetermined quan'- tities of fluid material and valve mechanism oontrolling the flow of the quantities of material from such measuring means through the nozzles into the molds during the oscillation of the tank in that direction and the supply of material to such measuring means at another time.

17. Means for filling molds transported by a conveyor while in transit comprising a tank mounted to oscillate longitudinally of the conveyor and having nozzles which travel in substantial register with the molds as the tank is oscillated in one direction, means for oscillating said tank, means for measuring quantities of iluid material, movable valve mechanism which in one position permits the supply of material to such measuring means and in another position permits the flow of the measured quantities from the measuring means through the nozzles into the molds during the oscillation of the tank in the direction in which the nozzles travel in substantial register With the molds and means for actuating said valve mechanism.

18. A delivery nozzle for use in machines of the class described, said nozzle having a bore which converges downwardly toward its delivery end, the inner Wall of the bore being extended beyond the delivery end of the nozzle proper to form a thin blade-like annular edge whereby dripping is prevented after the normal flow of material through the nozzle has terminated.

WILLIAM J. TAYLOR. 

